Elastic top shoe



Nov. 29, 1938. c. WL'LER 2,138,385

ELASTIC TOP SHOE Filed March 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CHARLES MILLER ATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1938. c MILLER 2,138,385

ELASTIC TOP SHOE Filed- March 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHARLES MILLE ATTORNEY NOV. 29, 1938. Q MlLLER I 2,138,385

ELASTIC TOP SHOE Filed March 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR CHARLES MILLER ATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1938. c. MILLER ELASTIC TOP SHOE Filed'March 5, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CHARLES MILLER @/zdw% A ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES.

ELASTIC TOP SHOE Charles Miller, Long Island City, N. Y.; Ida Gordon Miller, executrix of said Charles Miller, deceased, assignor to I. Miller & Sons, Inc., Long Island City,- N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 5,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of ladies shoes and deals more specifically with shoes of the step-in or pump types, having at least a portion of the upper thereof constructed of a fabric material woven with Lastex, whereby to render the said fabric elastic.

One of the biggest problems in connection with the making of ladies shoes of the type which press upon the wearer's instep, such as pumps or step-ins, is the prevention of cutting or binding of the wearers feet at the instep, while maintaining a sufiiciently snug fit at the sides when the shoe is flexed.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a shoe and method of making the same, in which a substantial portion of the upper material, adjacent to the opening through which the foot is introduced, is of an elastic nature to provide for the clinging of the shoe upper to the wearers foot at the opening, without binding or cutting the foot at any place especially not at the in-step. The rear of the shoe at the top of the rear seam is also a critical point and it is likewise an object of this invention to prevent cutting of the foot at this point. a

In making shoes, the uppers of which have a substantial part of elastic material, it has been practically impossible properly to last the shoe due to the great amount of stretch in the upper.

It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a method of lasting shoes having such uppers.

Again, since it is desired that the upper periphery of the shoe be elastic when elastic materials are used in the uppers, the binding tape which is commonly used around this margin, being inelastic, would defeat the advantages of using the elastic material.

One form of this invention therefore has, as a further object, the elimination of the usual binding tape used.

It is a further object of this invention to devise methods of cutting and shaping the elastic materials so that the greatest facility and efficiency may be realized in the handling ofthese materials for shoe uppers, as well as in the lasting operations.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partially completed shoe embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank of material showing how the patterns are laid out on the material.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a lining member assembled in accordance with this invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view of an upper blank assembled in accordance with this invention.

1935, Serial No. 9,371

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the shoe, the last being withdrawn, taken on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a transverse section on the line 1-1 of Figure l.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken through the upper at the foot opening.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a shoe partially completed in accordance with a modification of this invention.

Figure 10 is a transverse section of a portion of the upper taken on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 9.

Referring now in detail to the drawings the shoe I0 mounted upon a last ll comprises the vamp and quarter or front and rear sections [2 made of leather and the Lastex sections l3 and 14 joined together at the rear and front and to the sections l2 by the lines of stitching l5.

The upper materials used in this invention are of the usual types, such as leather, fabrics, etc., and the. Lastex is a fabric material available on the market under that name. Briefly it is a regular fabric material woven with certain constituent threads of elastic material. The resultant product is a fabric having all the usual normal appearances of a woolen or silken material, yet the said material has a great deal of elasticity in the weft and substantially less elasticity in the warp. A large number of textile effects are available with this material, such as silk crepes, satins and various woolen and worsted fabrics.

One of the greatest problems which I was required to solve in working out the making of shoes with this material, involved the lasting operations. This was difficult for in the lasting operation the shoe upper material is subjected to great stresses in pulling the same tight over the last, with the result that the upper stretches considerably. Now, if we have a very elastic material, and subject it to a great deal of stretching, when the shoe is completed and removed from the last, the stretched material will, of course, return to its normal dimensions, thus destroying the measurements of the shoe and its fit. After long experimentation, I have worked out the following method which gives very satisfactory results.

I take a blank of the Lastex material L and cut out the sections I 3 and M by laying out my patterns on the blank L as shown, being sure that the edges I31: and Ida. run parallel to the selvage edges and the edges I3b and Nb which come at the throat of the shoe are in a bias relation, substantially at an angle of 45 to the selvages.

Referring now to Figure 4, the vamp and quarters l2 cut to a suitable shape, depending upon the style of the shoe being made, and the Lasteir sections it and it are joined together by stitching as-at it, or by other suitable means, such as cementing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the sections l3 and M are adjacent to and completely surround the opening through which the foot of the wearer is introduced into the shoe. It will be understood that the shape of the sections may be widely varied, depending upon the amount of elasticity that is wanted in the shoe.

I similarly prepare a lining member 26 having the usual duck lining material secions 2t, 22 and 23, and the Lastex sections 26 and 25, all of which are assembled by stitches 26 as shown in Figure 3. The duck sections are cut in the usual Way, but the lining Lastex material is laid out on the blank in the manner described in con nection with Figure 2. Thus the edges 2 1a and 25a are parallel to the warp of the Lastex lining while the curves 23b and 251) which fall at the throat are substantially bias. The lining material used herein is of a light construction including Lastex yarn. It will be seen that the parts of the shoe upper which are made of leather have corresponding lining parts. A leather pad 27 is stitched to the lining member to protect the wearers foot at the throat where the shoe exerts pressure upon the foot.

The upper member and the lining member 28 are now placed together and joined by the line of stitching Bil as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 8. The leather lasting tabs 35 are temporarily stitched to the assembly which is now mounted upon the last and the lasting operations are performed. The tabs 3:; being rela tively inelastic hold the elastic sections id, id, 26 and 25 to which they are stitched from being stretched too much longitudinally of the opening during the lasting. Also by means of the tabs 35 and the lasting tacks 3B the upper can be attached in its correct position on the last. I have found that the use of these lasting tabs have made possible the constructions of shoes having a glove like fit and the most accurate dimensions. or course, for different shoes and different Lastex weaves, the length of the tabs 35 is varied so that an accurate control of the stretching of the Lastex parts may be realized, it being understood the greater the length of the tabs, the less will the Lastex be stretched in the lasting operations, and therefore the less will these parts recede when the last is withdrawn. When the last is withdrawn the tabs are cut away, by merely cutting the stitches which hold them to the upper.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, I shall describe a modification of the present invention. The departure of the present modification from the one described above resides in the use of an elastic binding tape Mi. When this tape is used the upper member andthe lining members are prepared as described above, with the exception that an extension M is left on the lining members 24 and 25. This extension 4| is used to facilitate the lasting operations in that it permits the member to be tacked directly to the last as shown. The elastic binding tape 4|] is sewed in between the top' edge of the upper and the lining. I have found that this type may be fixed 'for the same purpose.

aisasea in place while under a slight amount of tension, or with no tension whatsoever. In addition to the extension ll, I may also use the lasting tabs 35 in the same manner as described above, and

When the last is withdrawn the extension ll is trimmed down to a point slightly below the top edge of the tape 40.

The remaining operations incident to the finishing of the shoe follow the usual practice and therefore need no detailed discussion at this time.

It will be understood that many changes will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the

shapes of the Vamps and quarters and the Lastex v parts may be widely varied. Moreover, the rear scope of this invention, except as may be required by the prior art, and the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A snug fitting ladys shoe having an upper defining an opening through which the wearer's foot is introduced into theshoe, a portion at least of the upper adjacent to said opening being made of an elastic material, said material having a relatively elastic weft, said portion being shaped and positioned at the throat and sides adjacent the throat so that the part of said portion at the throat has its edge lying at an angle to both the warp and weft while the sides of said portion adjacent to said throat part run parallel to the warp, whereby substantially. greater elasticity is realized at said throat than at the sides thereof, a relatively inelastic body of material joined to said first mentioned material and forming therewith the complete shoe upper, and a lining joined to said upper substantially completely around said opening.

2. A low shoe having an opening in the upper thereof through which the wearers foot is introduced into the shoe, the front edge portion of said upper at said opening being constructed and arranged to terminate at and to engage the wearers foot substantially at the instep portion thereof, a marginal portion of the upper at said opening being formed substantially completely by elastic material, said material extending across the front and along both sides of the upper and having limited extensibility longitudinally of said foot opening and greater extensibility transversely of said foot opening at the front edge portion of the upper.

3. A high heel shoe of neat dressy appearance provided with elastic side inserts in the vamp and quarter area, each insert being formed of two separate pieces of woven elastic fabrics embodying elastic yarns in their construction and comprising an elastic outer fabric and a separate elastic lining secured in the shoe to stretch together and so that the elastic yarns extend at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane of the bottom of the sole and heel of the shoe.

CHARLES MILLER. 

